SF Giants manager Bruce Bochy said watching rookies make MLB debuts is one of his favorite aspects of his job

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San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy tips his cap after the Giants defeated the Boston Red Sox 11-3 in a baseball game for his 2,000th career win, at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — In the bottom of the ninth inning of Bruce Bochy’s 2,000th career victory, the Giants manager put his faith in a reliever he didn’t know much about.

With the Giants leading the Red Sox 11-2, Bochy called on right-hander Enderson Franco to record the final three outs of what turned into another milestone win.

Franco became the 12th different player to make his major league debut with the Giants this season, and he could be the last to do so. When Bochy heads into retirement in 10 days, the debuts are an aspect of the game he’ll miss the most.

“That’s probably the best part of our job,” Bochy said. “We’ve got a guy coming up for the first time and to see how excited they are. Franco, what a job he did.”

Bochy didn’t mind that Franco challenged Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. and allowed a home run in his first career inning. The 26-year-old Venezuela native had the advantage of a big lead and threw 18 of his 23 pitches for strikes, which is exactly what a manager looks for in a rookie.

“I know he gave up the home run, but you talk about pounding strikes,” Bochy said. “That’s what you want to see and he did it with good stuff.”

After signing as an international free agent with the Houston Astros in 2009, Franco spent 10 seasons climbing the ladder in the minor leagues dreaming of the chance to pitch in the majors.

He was twice selected in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, once by the Rays and once by the Braves, but had only made two career appearances above Double-A prior to 2019. When Franco signed with the Giants as a minor league free agent last offseason, the odds of him reaching the big leagues were still long.

Despite posting a 5.97 ERA with Triple-A Sacramento, the Giants selected his contract on Sunday after being impressed with the right-hander following a late-season move to the bullpen. After Bochy exhausted his bullpen in the Giants’ 15-inning win on Tuesday, he needed a fresh arm to finish off Wednesday’s victory and chose Franco.

“It was a special moment for me and my family,” Franco said. “I feel proud, my family feels proud for me and it was just special.”

Franco is the 64th different player to appear for the Giants this season, which marks a new National League record. San Francisco won’t set the major league record because the Seattle Mariners have already used 67 players this season, but there’s been no shortage of opportunities for newcomers to impress a new front office.

Regardless of whether they make the most of their chance or not, simply appearing in a major league game is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

“All of my life,” Franco said, when asked how long he’d been preparing for the moment. “My dreams have finally come true.”

Franco said he saved the baseball from his first career strikeout of Red Sox pinch-hitter Chris Owings and also kept the jersey from his MLB debut. He plans to send both home to his parents in Venezuela, who supported him when he left the country to pursue a professional career at age 17.

Until Franco saw the reaction from the fans at Fenway Park and the ensuing speech from Bochy in the visitor’s clubhouse, the right-hander had no clue he debuted in a milestone victory. The chance to do so added to the thrill for Franco, who was still beaming with pride the morning after his first major league game.

Kerry Crowley is a multimedia beat reporter covering the San Francisco Giants. He spent his early days throwing curveballs in San Francisco’s youth leagues before studying journalism at Arizona State University. Kerry has covered every level of baseball, from local preps to the Cape Cod League, and is now on a quest to determine which Major League city serves the best cheeseburger.